I have noticed something interesting - this is not exactly a STN
question - but as it affects STN users, I am tossing it out here on the
table.....
I have noticed - on several different occasions (not just STN), that in
a DHCP environment - Microsoft DHCP often works better and faster than
the Linux counterpart - and I don't know why.
When I try to get a DHCP lease from my cable provider - (using win98 /
winipcfg) I can do release/renew cycles - and get a lease almost
immediately. I can do a release - wait a while - do a renew, and get
the lease in nanoseconds. During initial boot - Windows negotiates and
obtains a lease without difficulties.
Doing the same thing with STN - it boggs down. This is true to the
point that I cannot guarantee that STN will get a lease when it boots.
In fact, it is virtually guaranteed NOT to get one the first time out.
(I have to wait for it to start complaining, and reboot - at that point
there is about a 65 to 75% chance it will get a lease. If it fails the
second time and I reboot again - it is 98%+ guaranteed to get a lease
the third time.)
I know that this is -NOT- a STN problem - as I have seen this in
"closed" networks for people I have worked for - where the Wintel boxes
would get a lease instantly - and the Linux boxes would wither on the
vine. (we ended up getting them static IP's) I suspect that this is a
generic "linux" issue. (at least with RH 5.n+ - I have not tried this
yet with 7.0)
I am curious as to what is so different between "wintel" DHCP and
"Linux" DHCP?
I do -not- know what kind of DHCP provider my cable company has - but I
do know that their machine is running Apache - which makes me believe
that it is probably a Unix box.
If I had a network sniffer - I could chase this down, but since I don't.
. . .
Anyone have any ideas why???
Setup:
Latest and Greatest STN (reg version)
External network card is a 3Com 3905b-tpo (this card usually has no
difficulties getting DHCP, as opposed to the 390x, which has nothing but
troubles. . .)
Cable modem is a Motorola Surfboard SB4100
Cable provider is Charter Communications.
I am not providing any DNS or DHCP on the internal side.
I am requesting DHCP services on the external side.
My STN box is also configured to dual-boot to Win98 2nd Ed. using the
same hardware in the same configuration.
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